The thesis for this paper consists of descriptions of the trench systems and trench warfare in WWI and WWII. Trench Warfare was used effectively by both sides in the two world wars. Although invented by Germans in WWI, the Allied powers had to adjust by building their own trenches to compete with the Germans. Trench systems were not all too confusing but if they were constructed correctly, they were the key to victory. On the flipside, trenches were very dangerous in various ways because of being dug underground. Commands were needed to control the trench soldiers and it was necessary to have brave and experienced personnel. Another large problem that trench life uncovered was the health of the soldiers and how difficult it was to receive proper care while in front line trenches. Trenches originated in WWI and if not invented during this war, WWI and WWII could have turned out differently than the Allied powers defeating the Axis powers.
During WWI, the tactics of trench warfare began, which would affect later wars such as WWII. In WWI, between 1915 and 1917, many battles took place along the Western Front in the trenches. The Allied trenches in WWI ran from the North Sea to the border of France and Switzerland which served as the Western Front. Britain and France built their trenches to resemble the shape of an “S” laying on its side as it ran through Belgium and France over rigorous terrain. The trench lines that were established in 1914 were not supposed to shift more than eleven miles until the last year of the war because of how difficult it was to capture enemy trenches. Commanders had two options during the First World War: break through the trench line, or go around it, both options were attempted and both usually failed. The main reason for the Allies building trenches was because it would have been impossible to defeat German trenches without some of their own. The first British trench attack was called the Battle of Neuve-Chapelle. The British contended a close fight because they had full knowledge of the layout of the trench system. Germany had three main ideas to defeat Russia: 1. Build modern defenses. 2. Use concrete and timber when possible. 3. Achieve artillery supremacy (http://www.lonesentry.com/aritcles/ttt/trench-warfare-eastern front.html). Trench systems are the layout and structure which were difficult to dig correctly but were the key to victory.
Trench systems consisted of dimensions that were important to measure correctly. Trench systems also had many structures which protected the trench. Other structures in the trenches were for the soldiers to use affectively. Barbed wire was an obstacle built into the trenches and attackers of opposite trenches often had to stop and cut through the barbed wire which gave time to the defenders to counter the attacks. Trenches were covered with cloth or sticks so enemy snipers could not see the men. The strict trench dimensions included a depth that was to be about seven to eight feet and a width about six feet. Trenches were not built in straight lines because if an enemy were to advance into them, the enemy could shoot and kill everyone in a straight line. Wounded soldiers were taken to the reserve trenches where they were treated and then moved to the casualty clearing station where surgery was performed. Breastworks were above-ground trenches and were protected by masonry, rocks, sandbags, and tree trunks. Saps were short trenches that were dug in front of the front line trenches and stretched about 30 yards into no man’s land, this design allowed the soldiers to listen to their enemy. No man’s land was the strip of land between the trenches of each side and nobody dared set foot here because they would have been shot. No man’s land was blocked off by barbed wire and was filled with craters from exploded bomb shells.
Support trenches were the second line trenches that were within 30 to 300 yards of a front line trench. Support trenches were also filled with riflemen to back up the front line. Communication trenches were dug at an angle and used to move soldiers and food supplies from the front line. Front line trenches were the primary attack and usually were dug about 200-800 meters away from the enemy. There were different structures that would protect and be useable by the soldiers to help them. Fire-bays were straight sections of trenches where the troops shot. The soldiers were protected on each side by sandbags and earth. Men could not see over a trench that was seven feet deep so a fire step was built into the wall which added about two or three feet to the men’s height. Funk Holes were first built by the British to shelter soldier from incoming shell fire. Trenches had duck-boards at the bottom which were walked across so soldiers were not walking in damp mud, which would cause trench foot. A parapet was the enemy-facing front side of the trench and was lined with sandbags to prevent bullets from getting through. Antitank ditches were constructed in front and back of the first line of defense. In important defense points, ditches were dug in three or four rows.
Soldiers would build dugouts which were small holes that they slept in. Dugouts were dangerous because there was a very high risk of the roof collapsing, so planks were used to support the roof. Latrines were the toilets of the trenches and were very unsanitary because of inexperience on how to build them correctly. France had created toilets or “latrines” that were much more sanitary and successful than Britain or Germany made. The French would dig very deep pits about twelve feet deep, three feet wide, and twelve feet long. These latrines were very sanitary because disinfectant was always kept nearby and when the pit was six feet from being full, the remaining latrine was filled in with soil which prevented the terrible smell. The parados was the rear side of the trench and was also protected by sandbags like the parapet. Trench repairs were constant throughout WWI because of constant artillery fire and bad weather which affected the trench structure (Hobbler 28). Trenches were very dangerous and caused many deaths of men during WWI and WWII.
Trench hazards and tragedies became a large problem because living in the trenches became almost as dangerous as fighting in the war. Many pests such as rat infestation and frogs became large problems inside the trenches. Frogs would reproduce in shell holes that filled up with water and slugs and horned beetles lined the trench walls. Soldiers that were killed in battle were buried just under the surface of the ground which attracted many rats. There were two main types of rats that were involved in infestation of trenches, they were the black and brown rats, both were bothersome however, the brown rat was fierce. The brown rat was the most feared because it would eat corpses’ eyes and livers. They could also grow to the size of a cat which scared many of the soldiers. In their defense, men would shoot, stab, or beat the rats with their guns and rifles to kill them. This killing of rats did nothing to solve the problem because a single rat could reproduce up to 900 offspring in one year.
Soldiers would build dugouts which were small holes that they slept in. Dugouts were dangerous because there was a very high risk of the roof collapsing, so planks were used to support the roof. Latrines were the toilets of the trenches and were very unsanitary because of inexperience on how to build them correctly. France had created toilets or “latrines” that were much more sanitary and successful than Britain or Germany made. The French would dig very deep pits about twelve feet deep, three feet wide, and twelve feet long. These latrines were very sanitary because disinfectant was always kept nearby and when the pit was six feet from being full, the remaining latrine was filled in with soil which prevented the terrible smell. The parados was the rear side of the trench and was also protected by sandbags like the parapet. Trench repairs were constant throughout WWI because of constant artillery fire and bad weather which affected the trench structure (Hobbler 28). Trenches were very dangerous and caused many deaths of men during WWI and WWII.
Trench hazards and tragedies became a large problem because living in the trenches became almost as dangerous as fighting in the war. Many pests such as rat infestation and frogs became large problems inside the trenches. Frogs would reproduce in shell holes that filled up with water and slugs and horned beetles lined the trench walls. Soldiers that were killed in battle were buried just under the surface of the ground which attracted many rats. There were two main types of rats that were involved in infestation of trenches, they were the black and brown rats, both were bothersome however, the brown rat was fierce. The brown rat was the most feared because it would eat corpses’ eyes and livers. They could also grow to the size of a cat which scared many of the soldiers. In their defense, men would shoot, stab, or beat the rats with their guns and rifles to kill them. This killing of rats did nothing to solve the problem because a single rat could reproduce up to 900 offspring in one year.
Waterlogged trenches became a problem when it rained. The trenches would fill up with water because the clay in the layers of the trench would not absorb water. When the conditions became unbearable in a waterlogged trench, soldiers would sleep outside the trenches and not even mind being shot. In marshy places on the battlefields it was impossible to dig a trench deep enough to protect the men because the trench would just fill in with water. Snipers also evoked fear in the men, especially the novice soldiers. Novice soldiers were afraid to look over the parapet into no man’s land because they may have been sniped. Snipers would actually take the lives of soldiers on their first day in the trenches because they would have their scopes aimed at certain points (http://firstworldwar.com/features/trenchlife.htm). Commands and personnel in the trenches were used to prevent quick fatalities such as being sniped.
The soldiers were trained to give different commands and perform jobs to help keep trenches safely running. Signalers were one of the main jobs in the trenches. They would use Morse code and field telephones for communication because flags and lamps could not be seen from inside the trenches. Signalers were trained to decode messages by way of Morse code. Signalers would lay cables on the ground for communication but soldiers’ boots would break the cables. Signalers’ next idea was to hang the cables on the wall. However shell fire would still break the cables. Finally, the cables were buried underground to prevent being broken (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWtrench.htm). When signalers had to repair broken cables, many signalers were killed because of shell fire. One main command that superiors used was “stand to”. Army officers thought most attacks took place early in the morning or just before dark.
Officers gave a stand to command an hour before dawn every morning and another command an hour before dark. Sometimes, when an enemy took over a trench, men would hide in small crevices and kill the enemy or just try to escape. One third of Allied deaths on the Western Front occurred in the trenches (http://firstworldwar.com/features/trenchlife.htm).
Soldiers that had to live in the trenches suffered many hardships; such as, diseases, suicidal thoughts, shell shock, alcohol problems, pests, and trench foot. Pests such as body lice could transmit disease but were also a problem on their own. The lice were a very large problem and annoyance in the trenches which made trench life even more unbearable. Lice were pale in color and left red marks from biting men. Many different methods were used to get rid of lice but one of the most effective was burning them off with a candle. Soldiers had to be careful with this method though as to not burn their clothes. Diseases such as trench fever and dysentery also caused deaths and problems to soldiers. Dysentery was a large problem because when soldiers ran out of water, they would drink from shell holes. These shell holes were usually contaminated and caused dysentery which is chronic diarrhea. Trench fever was caused by lice and was a painful disease which started with sharp pains and a high fever. This disease commonly resulted in death. Trench foot was the most numerous problem in the trenches. This was an infection of the feet that was caused by wet and clammy conditions which was the exact conditions in trenches. British soldiers were ordered to carry three extra pairs of socks and change them at least twice a day to prevent trench foot. In the winter of 1914 to 1915, more than 20,00 men in the British Army were treated for trench foot (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWfoot.htm).
The soldiers were trained to give different commands and perform jobs to help keep trenches safely running. Signalers were one of the main jobs in the trenches. They would use Morse code and field telephones for communication because flags and lamps could not be seen from inside the trenches. Signalers were trained to decode messages by way of Morse code. Signalers would lay cables on the ground for communication but soldiers’ boots would break the cables. Signalers’ next idea was to hang the cables on the wall. However shell fire would still break the cables. Finally, the cables were buried underground to prevent being broken (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWtrench.htm). When signalers had to repair broken cables, many signalers were killed because of shell fire. One main command that superiors used was “stand to”. Army officers thought most attacks took place early in the morning or just before dark.
Officers gave a stand to command an hour before dawn every morning and another command an hour before dark. Sometimes, when an enemy took over a trench, men would hide in small crevices and kill the enemy or just try to escape. One third of Allied deaths on the Western Front occurred in the trenches (http://firstworldwar.com/features/trenchlife.htm).
Soldiers that had to live in the trenches suffered many hardships; such as, diseases, suicidal thoughts, shell shock, alcohol problems, pests, and trench foot. Pests such as body lice could transmit disease but were also a problem on their own. The lice were a very large problem and annoyance in the trenches which made trench life even more unbearable. Lice were pale in color and left red marks from biting men. Many different methods were used to get rid of lice but one of the most effective was burning them off with a candle. Soldiers had to be careful with this method though as to not burn their clothes. Diseases such as trench fever and dysentery also caused deaths and problems to soldiers. Dysentery was a large problem because when soldiers ran out of water, they would drink from shell holes. These shell holes were usually contaminated and caused dysentery which is chronic diarrhea. Trench fever was caused by lice and was a painful disease which started with sharp pains and a high fever. This disease commonly resulted in death. Trench foot was the most numerous problem in the trenches. This was an infection of the feet that was caused by wet and clammy conditions which was the exact conditions in trenches. British soldiers were ordered to carry three extra pairs of socks and change them at least twice a day to prevent trench foot. In the winter of 1914 to 1915, more than 20,00 men in the British Army were treated for trench foot (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWfoot.htm).
Soldiers were not healthy mainly because of mal-nutritious foods. As WWI dragged on, rations were cut from ten ounces of meat and eight ounces of vegetables per day to only six ounces of meat per day with no vegetables. With all of these problems in the trenches, many soldiers thought about suicide. When the day came that a man could endure no more, he would shoot himself in the head or allow himself to be picked off by an enemy sniper. Shell fire was a main cause of death in the trenches because when shells exploded near dugouts, men would be buried alive by being smothered by earth. Soldiers who were exposed to constant shell fire would sometimes get shell shock which eventually caused mental breakdowns.
In WWI and WWII both sides needed to have trench systems built because if they did not, the enemy would have easily won the wars. Germany created the first trenches and it was critical that the Allied powers adapted because Germans would have dominated in WWI. When WWII started, Allies already had trench building experience which made it easier for them to compete with Germany. The importance of trench structure and dimensions were the keys to skillfully built trenches. Without trench blueprints, trenches may have been unstable and not worthy of being used in war. The uses and structure of trench warfare in WWI and WWII is a very important piece of history that could also help out in future warfare techniques!
In WWI and WWII both sides needed to have trench systems built because if they did not, the enemy would have easily won the wars. Germany created the first trenches and it was critical that the Allied powers adapted because Germans would have dominated in WWI. When WWII started, Allies already had trench building experience which made it easier for them to compete with Germany. The importance of trench structure and dimensions were the keys to skillfully built trenches. Without trench blueprints, trenches may have been unstable and not worthy of being used in war. The uses and structure of trench warfare in WWI and WWII is a very important piece of history that could also help out in future warfare techniques!
